Last week we saw TCQ get plunked twice by the Twins. I saw Beltre get hit in a Red Sox game recently resulting in a bench clearing scuffle.

I have always wondered why batters don't retaliate. If a pitcher hits a batter, the next time up the batter could waste a swing and let his bat go toward the mound at the pitcher. When we see a broken bat, the pitcher often has a panicked look when the piece goes flying in his direction. But I don't think I have ever seen a batter "loose his grip" on a bat and direct it at the mound in retaliation.

Lip Man 1

08-16-2010, 09:04 PM

In the 1972 American League Championship Series "Campy" Campaneris didn't like getting thrown at or getting hit, I don't recall exactly what set him off but with future Sox closer Lerrin LaGrow on the mound threw his bat directly at him. It was Detroit and Oakland in the 72 ALCS.

Maybe there is You Tube video of this someplace.

Lip

chisox616

08-16-2010, 09:20 PM

I've always wondered, are intentional HBP more common in the AL due to the DH? I mean, there is no fear of retaliation against the pitcher himself, just their teammates. This isn't the case in the NL with the pitcher coming up to bat, like we saw with Padilla.

Even though I live in St. Louis I still don't watch enough NL baseball to answer that. I figure it's a pretty obvious answer. Or maybe they shun that kind of thing.

pythons007

08-16-2010, 11:10 PM

Delmon Young in the minors was a classic retaliation. Kick the catcher and run to the mound with a bat.

WhiteSox5187

08-16-2010, 11:28 PM

Delmon Young in the minors was a classic retaliation. Kick the catcher and run to the mound with a bat.

I don't think that was Delmon Young, I think Delmon Young threw a bat at an umpire after being ejected. The guy who kicked the catcher was someone else.

doublem23

08-16-2010, 11:35 PM

I don't think that was Delmon Young, I think Delmon Young threw a bat at an umpire after being ejected. The guy who kicked the catcher was someone else.

Delmon was definitely the guy who threw his bat at an ump after he had walked back to the dugout. The wannabe kickboxer was Izzy Alcantara, IIRC.

If a batter threw a bat at a pitcher and it was deemed intentional he would get a 15+ game suspension.

TDog

08-17-2010, 02:32 AM

In the 1972 American League Championship Series "Campy" Campaneris didn't like getting thrown at or getting hit, I don't recall exactly what set him off but with future Sox closer Lerrin LaGrow on the mound threw his bat directly at him. It was Detroit and Oakland in the 72 ALCS.

Maybe there is You Tube video of this someplace.

Lip

When Lerrin LaGrow was pitching for the Sox, Bert Campaneris came up to face him in a game at Old Comiskey. LaGrow wouldn't step up to the rubber and Campaneris wouldn't step into the box until umpires directed them to do so. That was about five years after the ALCS incident, but the two still seemed visibly shaken up.

Of course, in late August 1965, there was the incident involving Juan Marichal and Johnny Roseboro. Marichal had moved a couple of Dodgers hitters off the plate, and after Sandy Koufax came in high and tight to Marichal, Marichal said something to Roseboro, the Dodgers catcher. Roseboro took a step toward Marichal, and Marichal hit him with his bat. An ugly brawl ensued.

Hitters used to be more creative in retaliation, bunting up the first base line, for example, and laying their spikes into the pitcher when he was fielding the ball or covering first. The 1972 A's had a few fights in the regular season with the White Sox. Maybe it was in 1971 when Bart Johnson fielded a bunt up the first base line and slugged the A's hitter (it might have been Campaneris) with the tag. Those teams hated each other.

Chez

08-17-2010, 08:28 AM

In the 1972 American League Championship Series "Campy" Campaneris didn't like getting thrown at or getting hit, I don't recall exactly what set him off but with future Sox closer Lerrin LaGrow on the mound threw his bat directly at him. It was Detroit and Oakland in the 72 ALCS.

Maybe there is You Tube video of this someplace.

Lip

From the useless information department: Every year a buddy and I sponsor a Baseball Reference page of a former Sox relief pitcher. Lerrin LaGrow is the beneficiary of our current sponsorship. So, in some ways, I feel like I own him!